On 'Important Issues,' Super Committee May Go Behind Closed Doors

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: National Journal

Not all of the meetings and discussions of the 12-member super committee on deficit reduction will be conducted in public, the panel's two leaders said on Thursday, despite calls from some in Congress that all the work be done in open session.

The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction charged with finding at least $1.2 trillion in budgetary savings over the next 10 years met as a group for the first time on Thursday, and did so in public. The event included members’ individual opening statements and a discussion of the panel’s rules for proceeding.

Co-chair Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., echoing fellow co-chair Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, said, “We looked at how House and Senate committees operate, and we worked together to make sure this committee met publicly, but also had the ability to meet just among members to discuss important issues.”

The committee’s official deadline to report out recommendations for deficit reduction is Nov. 23, but Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said realistically the panel needs to complete its work by the end of October in order to have a final product by Thanksgiving.

Read more: http://www.nationaljournal.com//member/supercommittee/on-important-issues-super-committee-may-go-behind-closed-doors-20110908

[Scuba]

1. Makes sense. We can't have government run in the light of day now, can we?

Sarcasm thingy.

[24601]

21. Presidents have private meetings. Juries deliberate life and death

behind closed doors.

But the universe will end if committee members close a door? I don't believe that's the case.

[No Elephants]

25. Universe ending? Geez, that has to be the biggest straw man ever.

[24601]

36. Biggest straw man? I've told you a million times to stop exaggerating n/t

[Autumn]

2. Well, well how about that.

color me shocked and surprised. Not

[KansDem]

3. Mobsters and CEOs...and now Congress.

Business is conducted behind closed doors.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Congress already does probably most of its shit behind closed doors, so I am not surprised.

[No Elephants]

26. Begging the question whether any of it should be behind closed doors.

Besides, this committee is not Congress.

No Committee of Congress has the power to require an yea or a nay, with no amendment or negotiation. This is a DLC idea Obama tried to get passed with the Cat Food Commission. He failed then, but we have it now.


Whether this Committee is even Constitutional is another big issue.

But, he has a great grin and he's a Democrat, so it's all good.

[Fuddnik]

5. Who's going to wipe the fingerprints off?

Pelosi or Reid.

It's probably already rigged to blame it all on Baucus. But don't believe it. They're all up to their necks in it.

[russspeakeasy]

6. "the ability to meet just among members"

:evilgrin: so we can lie and steal as much as we want.
What a bunch of arrogant bastards.:puke:

[RC]

7. If they were really doing the people's business, then they would work out in the open.

And now we know for sure the committee is stacked, because they don't think we need to know what they are doing when they let their lobbyist make their bribe offers out of the light of day... Or have the lobbyists write more legislation.

[ixion]

exactly

[Arctic Dave]

8. I remember someone talking about transparency in Washington once.

So much for that too.

[former9thward]

9. Every important meeting is conducted in private and always has been.

Name a White House meeting that was open to the public -- ever.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

12. Allow me to highlight your post

...by asking, are you insinuating that the "Super Congress" should meet in private? You didn't say this directly, but the OP was about the star chamber meeting in secret, and you challenged the premise of the OP. So I'm just wondering--do you want the "Super Congress" to meet behind closed doors, inaccessible to the public?

[former9thward]

16. I don't engage in what I "want" or not.

I am merely pointing out all meetings of any substance take place in private. This is true whether it is the White House, Congress - Super or otherwise -, Pentagon, State and local governments, Union negotiations, Supreme Court conferences, in short anything. So why is this Super Committee being held to a standard that No government body has ever been held to??

[No Elephants]

30. "all meetings of any substance take place in private" Absolutely untrue

Just pointing out here as well, that you just went from white house to "all meetings" in one post.

[former9thward]

33. Since it is "absolutely untrue" perhaps you can give examples of that.

I originally said White House and no one was able to come up with one WH meeting that is open to the public - now or ever. I thought about it some more and I can't think of any meetings of substance -- where things are negotiated out -- that take place in public.

Please don't include Congressional hearings because those are not meetings --no negotiation takes place -- just people giving statements. Meetings where legislation is actually drafted are never public. Meetings where legislation is merged between the House and Senate -- the Conference committee -- is never public.

[Angry Dragon]

34. They are doing the business of the people

and should be held in the open.
The Constitution does not give Congress the right to hold meetings behind closed doors
and if you suggest that this is the way things are done and then maybe things need to change
as far as I can tell all these private meetings of Congress have not worked out so well

Open the doors and let the people see Congress at work
the people have the right to know you is trying to screw them over
nothing to hide then open the doors

OPEN THE DOORS

[No Elephants]

29. Didn't Obama promise that meetings woiuld be on C Span?

Besides, this is not the WH. Or the House. Or the Senate.

It is an unprecedented and very possibly unconstitutional committee.

[Freddie Stubbs]

32. President Obama was talking about Health Care Reform

What specific provision of the Constitution does this joint committee, or any other joint congressional committees, violate?

[Hosnon]

10. Not every government meeting should be public.

Local government meetings with counsel to discuss ongoing legal matters being a good example.

However, it should be the exception to the rule. Simply being important does not cut it - in fact, those are the very meetings that should presumptively be open to the public.

[Auntie Bush]

23. Maybe they think ReThugs will be afraid to discuss tax cuts in the open

Grover Norquest won't tolerate such a thing...they have to do it behind closed doors.

[Jakes Progress]

11. Probably wouldn't have to.

So many "Democrats" have become such brainwashed pushovers that the group could just go ahead and tell us what they are going to do to SS and medicare and as long as Obama backed it, that would be okay with them.

At least the bastards used to have to hide. Now they thumb their noses at us and half the party goes uh huh uh huh.

[onethatcares]

13. vermin prefer the dark

you can bet they won't be talking about tax increases on corporations under those covers.

[jwirr]

14. NO

[dtexdem]

15. Those closed doors should be locked.

And the key thrown away.

[Phlem]

17. Still waiting to see if the

"what has Obama done?" link gets posted.

:popcorn:

-p

[Bluenorthwest]

18. After the McClurkin songs didn't Obama speak of changing

government and having all important issues debated in public? Transparency and accountability, he went on and on about it.

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. The President cannot control how Congress conducts its business

[No Elephants]

31. This is NOT Cpongress conducting its business. Please let's not pretend it is.

[Earth_First]

19. Will Obama mention this tonight?

:crickets:

[jerseyjack]

20. Bastards !!!

[Odin2005]

22. They don't want their constituents to know what is going on. Bastards.

[snooper2]

27. So they can say, "We know you have to cater to your batshitcrazy teabag fuckers"

But in reality, they are clueless and here's what we need to do

[woo me with science]

28. Patriot Act, corporate health insurance mandates, emergency "austerity" debt ceiling talks....

It appears that working behind closed doors and telling Americans what has been decided upon after the fact is the new normal.

"Representative government" my ass.

[Solly Mack]

35. So..the "important issues" will be discussed behind closed doors

Snicker

[plumbob]

37. About time to start teaching original sources again:

"when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government"


Very hopeful that these closed rooms have some fatal contaminants left from their construction by the corporate pals of these stooges.

[quakerboy]

38. I will repeat again.

the pessimist(or is it the realist) in me says that at this point the best we can hope for is to find enough votes to kill whatever agreement the super committee comes up with, and have the auto cuts triggered. At least those are 50% military cuts, which I have little hope will be matched by whatever the super committee offers

[totodeinhere]

39. We will never see 50% military cuts no matter what happens. If the super committee

fails the powers that be in Washington will find some way to avoid cuts like that. You can take that to the bank.

[quakerboy]

40. Maybe so

But of all the ways I could see this turning out, realistically, that seems like the least damaging possible.

[totodeinhere]

41. Some small cuts in the Defense Department budget might be a realistic goal.

Or at least they might slow down the budget's rate of growth. But that's about it.

[quakerboy]

42. No harm in trying for the best we can get

If they make an agreement that involves only cosmetic cuts to military spending and strips many more people of any chance at liberty that government services could have provided, that is not good. In theory if they cannot come to agreement, at least 50% of the cuts come from military. And if that happens, at least they will have to expose themselves to claw that money back to the MIC. Better that than throwing our hands up at the cluster that has been given us by Republicans determined to destroy and Democrats determined to avoid leadership.

[indypaul]

43. Simply look up each members contributors

then you will know whose interests are being represented
behind those closed doors. Business as usual. New name--same game.
When someone says government can't create jobs. Just tell them to
cut the defense budget then listen to the screams of the unemployed.